Ensure no debris on khazan land, Santa Cruz panchayat told

Panaji: Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has directed the Santa Cruz panchayat to clear any remaining debris, which had been dumped on khazan lands in five survey numbers in the area. The authority has also told the panchayat to ensure that no further dumping takes place on khazan lands.

GCZMA had received a complaint in Oct 2023 that construction material and waste have been used to fill up a low-lying khazan land. A field surveyor and an engineer of GCZMA carried out an inspection and confirmed the illegality. The complainant alleged that the panchayat had done the land filling to carry out development of the area.

A show-cause notice was issued, following which the panchayat later appeared before the authority and said that the site has been cleared of the debris. Subsequently, GCZMA organised a site inspection in Sep 2024, after which the complainant said that the panchayat had failed to remove all the debris.

The Khazan Society of Goa was also involved in the proceedings by GCZMA.

The complainant brought to the notice of the authority that despite giving an undertaking to the high court in the matter, the village panchayat of Santa Cruz has still not completely removed the debris from the area.

The complainant also said that environmental compensation must be taken from the panchayat for the violation.

GCZMA agreed after the site inspection that not all the debris had been cleared from the site.

“The authority perused the fresh inspection report and observed that the debris is not removed in totality. The pictorial evidence showed some traces of the debris still being in existence on the site,” GCZMA said. “Accordingly, the respondent panchayat is directed to remove the debris within 15 days and report compliance. The panchayat shall also ensure that no further debris is offloaded into the said khazan land.”

It noted that the panchayat has said it will undo the damage by scraping off the debris.